Create a Flat-Fold Light Tent Using Coroplast

Light tents (also called light boxes) are a great way to shoot a product. They eliminate harsh reflections and create appealing highlights. This specific light tent from Robert Miler has a nice twist since it can fold flat for storage.

It is all Robert from after the jump

This is my take on the light tent. I like it better than the cardboard box variety because it will fold flat for storage, and fit into one of those portfolio thingies along with some poster board for backgrounds.

Materials

1. Cut 3 pieces of coroplast 80×60 cm and one 60×60 with notches big enough to accept binder clips. Make your cuts square and strait using a straight edge.

2. Lay the 3 big pieces side by side with a 3 or 4 mm gap (2 or 3 times the width of the material) between them.

3. Make hinges with the tape on one side of the panels extending the tape 2 cm above and below the panels. Wrap the tape around to the backside. Flip and repeat.

4. Create a similar hinge for the small panel at the top of the center panel with the notches at the hinge.

5. This is it, you are almost done. One more thing, the binder notches can be a bit high or low for some of the backdrops. If this happens to you, simply make another set of notches at different heights.

This is how the tent looks open

And from the back…

And this is how it folds flat

I have used the box to take the images below. However, coroplast takes some major stops of your light. One variation on the idea could be cutting huge holes in the panels and taping them with some diffusion material like silk or sketching paper. By doing so you benefit from both worlds – flat design like the box above + the light transparency of the “regular box” model.

Clinton Lofthouse is a Photographer, Retoucher and Digital Artist based in the United Kingdom, who specialises in creative retouching and composites. Proud 80's baby, reader of graphic novels and movie geek!
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